Machine for producing ornamental surfaces on fleeced fabrics.



PATENTED MAR. 12, 1907.

C.HPREN0H. MACHINE PoR PRODUGING ORNAMENTAL 3 SHEETS-SHEETL .l AL

1m m I N 1 1. n 7 l m UM l. ft Y .m B l i ,d 2c d M s 6\ ATTORNEYS .'HsNomar: Psfzks co., wAsnlNafaN. n4 u4 10.84.1056. .PATBNT'ED MAR. 12,1907.

C. H. FRENCH. -MACHINE FOB. PRODUGING ORNAMENTAL SURPACES 0N FLEEGEDFABRICS.

AI-PLIGATION FILED 'MAY 14.1906.

a SHEETS-SHEET z.

No. 847,056. PATBNTBD MAR. 12, 1907.

o. H. FRENCH.

MAHlNE ljR'PRoDUGING -ORNAMENTAL SURFAGES 0N PLEEGED FABRICS.

APPLICATION FILED-MAY 14. 1906.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

W/TNESSES /NVENTH ATTORNEYS nu: NaRms mens co.; wAsmNaroN, n. o.

UNITED STATES PATENT oEEroE.

CHARLES HENRY FRENCH, OF CANTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOB TO FRENCH &WARD, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A FIRM.

MACHINE FOR PRODUCING ORNAMENTAL SURFACES N FLEECED FABRICS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

latented March 12, 1907.

Application illed May 14. 1906. Serial No. 316,771.

. description.

The invention relates to cloth-finishing machines; and its object is toprovide a new and improved machine for producing ornamental surfaces onfleeced fabrics-such, for instance, as shown and described in theapisnication forLetters Patent of the United tates, Serial No. 311,891,filed by me on April 16, 1906, the machine being arranged to provide apermanent ornamental surface in the form of alternating transversestripes of coarse and line texture.

The invention consists of novel features and parts and combinations ofthe same, which will be more fully described hereinafter and thenpointed out in the claims.

A practical embodiment of the invention is representedin theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in whichsimilar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all theviews.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the improvement. Fig. 2 is a sectional sideelevation of the same on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectionalside elevation of part of the improvement on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.Fig. 4 is a sectional side elevation of one of the temples. Fig. 5 is aside elevation of the mechanism for periodically actuating the rockingbeam, and Fig. 6 is a cross-section of the fabric produced by themachine.

The fabric A to be run through the machine presently to be described indetail consists of a knit body A', having a iieeced surface A2 oftwisted, lumped, or rippled fibers to give the surface A2 a coarse orchinchilla eect. In passing this fabric through the machine the bers ofthe portions of the surface A2 are subjected to a combing-out action,whereby the fibers of the portions thus acted on are rendered fine andvdowny in distinct contrast to the remaining coarse portions of theoriginal twisted, lumped, or rippled surface A2. The portions combed outare in the form of transverse stripes of a fine downy texture, whichstripes alternate with transverse stripes of twisted, lumped, or rippledtexture, thus producing a highly ornamental effect by contrast of theSaid alternating stripes. For the sake of brevity I prefer to usehereinafter the terms fine and "coarse for the portions A2 and A3.

On a suitablyconstructed frame B is mounted t0 rotate the napping-drumC, provided on its peripheral face with combingteeth O, adapted to combout the portions A3 of the fabric A, presented with its coarse surfaceA2 to the said combing-teeth C by the use of a rock-beam D, preferablymade almond shape and having its ends D journaled in suitable bearingscarried on the main frame B. The beam D extends in close proximity andacross the peripheral face of the drum C, and the fabric A is caused totravel over the said beam D in the direction of its length, as indicatedby the arrows a, and at a speed considerably less than the peripheralspeed of the napping-drum C. For this pur- Ipose the followingarrangement is made:

The fabric A unwinds from a spool E and passes over and underfriction-rollers F F and up over a cloth-beam G, secured on the mainframe B, and then the side edges of the fabric A are engaged by templesH, of any approved construction, and adjustably mounted on brackets H,attached to the beam G. The temples H hold the fabric A properlystretched in the direction of its width and also guide the fabric in thestretched condition to a feed-roll I, journaled in suitable bearings onthe main frame B. The feed-roll I is preferably provided. with smallpins at its peripheral surface to insure a proper forward travel orfeeding of the fabric A in the direction of the arrows a. Immediatelyafter leaving the feed-roll I the fabric passes over the beam D, andthen the fabric extends downward under a guide-roller J,

'then forwardly and under another guideroller J and then the fabricextends upwardly and passes over another feed-roll I', similar to thefeed-roll I, but located on the opposite side of the napping-drum C, asplainly indicated in Fig. 2. The fabric passes from the feed-roll I overa guide-roller J 2, then under a guide-roller J 3, and finally over aroller K, from which the fabric passes to a reel to be wound up in theusual manner.

The rollers J, J J 2, J 3, and K are journaled in suitable bearings onthe main frame B.

IOO

The feed-rolls I I and the roller K receive a positive driving motionfrom the shaft C2 of the napping-drum C, and for this purpose thefollowing arrangement is made:

The shaft C2of the napping-drum C is provided with fast and loosepulleys C4 C5., connected by a belt C5 with other machinery, and thesaid belt C5 can be readily shifted from one pulley to the other by asuitable belt-shifter C, and when the belt-C5 is on the fast pulley C3then a continuous motion is given to the shaft C2 and to the naping-drum 6. On the shaft C2 is secured a pu ey L, connected by a belt Llwith a pulley L2, secured on a short shaft L3, journaled on the mainframe B. On the shaft L3 is secured a pinion L4 in mesh with agear-wheel L3, j ournaled on a stud L, held on the main frame B, and onthe face of the gear-wheelL5 is secured a pinion L7 in mesh with agear-wheel L3, journaled on a stud L3, arranged on Vthe main frame B. Onthe gear-wheel Ls is secured a sprocket-wheel N, around which passes asprocket-chain l passing over an idler N2 and then around asprocket-wheel N3, mounted to rotate loosely on the shaft I2 of thefeed-roll I. The sprocket-chain N passes from the sprocket-wheel N3 overa sprocket-wheel N4, mounted to rotate loosely on the shaft I3 of thefeed-roll I, and then the sprocketchain N passes down to thesprocketwheel N reviously mentioned. Now the sprocket-w eels N3 N4 areconnected -by awl-and-ratchet mechanism with the shafts 2 I3 of thefeed-rolls I and I', and for this purpose the sprocket-wheels l 3 N4carry springpressed pawls N5 N3, engaging ratchetwheels N 7 N 3, securedon the shafts I2 I3, provided with hand-wheels I2 I3, respectively, asplainly indicated in the drawings. Now when the machine is in operationand the sprocket-chain N rotates the sprocketwheels N3 N 4 then therotary motion of the latter is transmitted by the pawls N 5 N 3 and theratchet-wheels N7 and N8 to the shafts I2 I3, which drive the feed-rollsI I. When it is desired to stop the feed of the fabric for the timebeing and to feed by hand, then it is only necessary for the operator tothrow out the pawls N5 N 6 and turn the shafts I2 and I3 by hand, theoperator then having hold of the hand-wheels It I5. Thus by thearrangement described, the fabric A may be fed forward or backward,according to the direction in which the hand-wheels I4 I5 are turned. Itis understood that normally, however, the shafts I2 and I3 are driven inunison by the sprocket-chainN, the sprocket-wheels N3 N4, and thepawl-and-ratchet mechanisms referred to.

The roller K is driven from the gearwheel L8, and for this purpose thelatter is provided with a pinion O in mesh with a gear-wheel O, journaled on a stud O2, held caracte gear-wheel O is secured asprocket-wheel O3, connected by a sprocket-chain O4 with asprocket-wheel O3, secured on the shaft K in operation positive drivingmotion is given lto the roller K to conduct the fabric from lhgmachine.

In order to rock the beam D periodically, the following arrangement ismade, special reference being had to Figs. 1 and 5: An arm D2 is securedto one end of the shaft D, and this arm D2 is connected by an adjustablelink P with a lever P, fulcrumed at P2 on 'the main frame B, and on thelever P is journaled a friction-roller P3 in engagement with rtheperipheral surface of a cam Q, secured on a shaft Q, driven from thefeed-roll I. A spring R presses the llever P, so as to hold thefriction-roller P3 in peripheral contact with the cam Q, and when themachine is in operation and the cam Q is rotated then an `intermittentswinging motion is given vto the lever P to cause the latter to impartan intermittent swinging motion to the beam' D by the action of the linkP and the arm D2. Now by ythis intermittent swinging motion lgiven tothe beam D the traveling fabric A ment with the teeth C for the latterto comb out portions of the coarse surface A2, it being understood thatwhen the beam D is in the position shown in Fig. 5-that is, away fromthe `napping-drum C-then that portion of the fabric which ypasses overthis beam D for the time being remains in the original coarse state-thatis, not combed out. Thus transverse alternating stripes of coarse andfine texture are produced by the action of the lbeam D and thenapping-drum C, between which and the beam D passes the fabric A, asabove described.

In order to rotate the cam Q from the feedlroll I, the followingarrangement is made On the shaft Q is secured a gear-wheel S in meshwith a pinion S', journaled on a stud S2, held on the frame B, and thesaid pinion S is secured to one face of a gear-wheel S3, in mesh, with apinion S4, secured to the shaft I2 of the feed-roll I. Thus when thelatter is rotated, as previously explained, then a rotary motion istransmitted by the pinion S2, the gear-wheel S3, the pinion S, andgearwheel S to the cam Q to rotate the latter very slowly in comparisonto the speed with which the feed-roll I and the napping-drum C arerotated.

The lever P is preferably in the form of a hand-lever under the controlof the operator to enable the latter to impart a rocking motion to thebeam D whenever it is desired to throw the beam D away from thenappingdrum C.

The operation is as follows: When the several parts are in the positionillustrated in on the main frame B, and on one face of the Figs. 1 and 2and a rotary motion is given to of the roller K. 'Thus when the machineis is held for a certain length of time in engage- IOO IIO

IZO

the shaft C2, then the napping-drum C, as well as the feed-rolls I I andthe roller K, are rotated, so that the fabric A is caused to travel inthe direction of the arrows a', and in doing so it passes over the beamD, which periodically presents the coarse surface A2 to the action ofthe combing-teeth C. NOW as the coarse surface A2 of the fabric A hasits fibers in a twisted, rippled, or lumped condition owing to previousoperation it is evident that the combing-teeth C comb out portions ofthe said twisted, lumped, or rippled fibers in a transverse directionand in the form of stripes to produce the transverse combed-out or downystripes A3, alternating with the stripes A2 of twisted, lumped, orrippled fibers. Thus by the arrangement described the fabric can be veryquickly treated with a view to produce a highly ornamental permanenteffect by having contrasting portions of combed-out, downy, and twisted,lumped, or rippled fibers, as will be readily understood by reference toFigs. l and 6.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. A machine for producing ornamental surfaces onfabrics having ileeced coarse surfaces, comprising a revolublenapping-drum having an uninterrupted peripheral combingface, means fordrawing the fabric in the direction of its length past the saidcombingface, and an intermittently-rocking beam for moving the fabricperiodically in engagement with the said combing-face.

2. A machine for producing ornamental surfaces on fabrics having fleecedcoarse surfaces, comprising a revoluble nap ing-drum having anuninterrupted periphera combingface, a drawing device for drawing thefabric past the said napping-drum in the direction of the length of thefabric, a beam mounted to rock for moving the fabric into and out ofengagement with the said combing-face, and in the direction of the widthof the fabric and in the direction of the length of the nappingdrum, andmeans for periodically rocking the said beam.

3. A machine for producing ornamental surfaces on fabrics having fleecedcoarse surfaces, comprising a revoluble nap ing-drum having anuninterrupted periphera combingface, a drawing device for drawing thefabric past the said napping-drum in the direction of the length of thefabric, a beam mounted to rock for moving the fabric into and out ofengagement with the said combing-face and in the direction of the widthof the fabric and in the direction of the length of the nappingdrum, anarm on the said beam, and a cam device-connected with the said arm forperiodically rocking the said beam.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES HENRY FRENCH.

Witnesses:

N. W. DUNBAR, J H. LANDRIK.

